


you are my secret.

by sourcherie



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Love, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Heartbreak, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Romance, Secret Relationship, and no its not lolita, loosely based off a movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28104480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourcherie/pseuds/sourcherie
Summary: han jumin didn’t foresee his attempt to return a lost wallet to a stranger to bring him into the life of 16-year-old jeong yuri.but oh, how it had. and what a beautiful disaster that would become.
Relationships: Han Jumin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. collision.

Jeong Yuri. A fair skinned brunette with brown eyes, grinning from ear to ear in the photograph on her student ID. The aforementioned ID identified her as a first year student at the local all-girls high school. 

And as the owner of the wallet Jumin had picked up after she’d run right into him.

Jumin supposed that a higher power was just hellbent on making the day more difficult for him than it already had been. First, he’d awoken to find Luciel _somehow_ in his apartment, grubby hands of course clutching none other than Elizabeth 3rd. He wasn’t sure just how the other man had managed such a task (surely, he’d need to replace a security guard or two when he found out exactly who had let this happen), but it had only taken mere seconds for Jumin to kick him back out onto the street. Admittedly, it had taken him quite a bit longer to thoroughly examine his precious Elizabeth for any injuries he was certain that barbarian had inflicted, and the time wound up getting away from him. That was, until it had suddenly reoccurred to him that he had _several_ meetings, quite a few of them back to back, scheduled for the morning.

He’d been in a hurry to exit his apartment, so much so that he’d spilled half a cup of coffee onto his crisp, _white_ shirt in an attempt to down it before he reached the front door. He’d tugged it off right then and there and gone to grab another one, making a mental note to inform Assistant Kang to get the item cleaned. By the time he’d gotten out to climb in Driver Kim’s vehicle, he figured he must have been at least ten minutes off-schedule. Not much of a dramatic difference to the untrained eye, but time was money and it grated on him to think of how much he’d wasted over quite possibly the most incredible stroke of bad luck he’d had all week.

Perhaps that had been how it happened. Maybe, caught up in the web of his own frustrated inner monologue, Jumin had failed to notice that someone, evidently just as rushed as he was, was running _straight towards him_. 

Then, they’d collided.

“Hey-!”

“ _Sorry!_ ” Came a high-pitched, breathless voice, clearly a girl’s. Jumin heard the sound of something hitting the top of his shoe; he could only hope it hadn’t gotten scuffed somehow. 

If there was to be a straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back after all of this morning’s events, Jumin’s run-in with that reckless stranger would certainly qualify. He could thank God that at the very least he was no longer anywhere near a cup of coffee this time, but that did nothing to soothe his ire. He’d wanted to shout after her, demand that she watch where she was going next time, but she’d gotten away in the blink of an eye. Jumin had hardly gotten a good look at her; he was almost certain her hair had been in pigtails, and he’d caught a flash of a black blazer and a tan skirt. She’d vanished just as quickly as she’d appeared, leaving behind nothing but the blur of her shape in the corner of Jumin’s eye.

At least, that’s what he’d first assumed. 

Glancing down at the ground for a moment, if only to assess whatever damage might have possibly been done to his shoe, Jumin’s eyes caught on a pink wallet laying right beside it. It was clasped shut, adorned by a small crown shape, and still looked relatively new. 

It couldn’t have been his. Naturally, this meant that there was only one other likely possibility. It belonged to the same girl he’d just watched scurry down the street, out of sight and probably impossible to catch up with at this point. He supposed he could always have Driver Kim take off after her, but not only would that look _incredibly_ questionable, there was simply no time for it. He was already long overdue at the office, and another detour for the morning wouldn’t do.

At the same time, it wasn’t like he could very well just leave it there. Sure, he didn’t know the girl in the slightest and that along with the circumstances made it highly unlikely that he’d be able to return it to her immediately, but leaving the wallet where it was would be akin to walking up to any scoundrel off the streets and just handing them its contents. In truth, his possession was the safest place it could be at the moment. Jumin wasn’t going to be the one to pilfer a stranger’s money; it wasn’t as though he’d ever had any need to. 

He tucked the wallet into the pocket of his suit jacket, deciding he’d look into it once he’d taken his place in Driver Kim’s car, in hopes of finding some form of contact for her. 

“Good morning, Mr. Han!” Driver Kim’s chipper greeting was, admittedly, welcome after all the chaos. At least now, Jumin knew he’d be getting where he needed to be. _Something_ would go right for once.

“Good morning.” Jumin’s reply, nonetheless, was brief and to the point. “If you could drive a bit faster than usual this morning, please. I’m somewhat behind schedule.”

“Of course, sir.” Driver Kim answered in the affirmative, wasting no time in taking off on the road. 

Jumin’s nerves, not at all calmed by the soft rumble of the car’s engine, were alight with strain and unease, especially after a brief glance at the traffic before them. Although he trusted Driver Kim’s ability and knew the man would get him to his destination as soon as physically possible, he didn’t doubt that they were going to be set back by quite a bit. _Lovely_.

He turned on his phone, firing off a quick message to Assistant Kang to indicate that the current schedule for meetings was likely to face a significant delay. She’d taken a note of that, of course, and replied that she’d adjust the schedule to account for that. That took some pressure off, albeit not all of it. 

Especially not when he’d just been saddled with yet another task for the day.

Removing the wallet from his pocket and pulling it open, Jumin came face to (photographed) face with Jeong Yuri.

* * *

Yuri was screwed. So very _screwed._

Today, it seemed, had been nothing but disaster after disaster for her, and the day itself had hardly even _begun_. 

She’d narrowly missed the train to get to school, solely because she’d been so exhausted when she’d finished studying that she’d collapsed the second she’d gotten into bed and had completely forgotten about setting her alarm for the next day. Of course, having woken up so late meant having no time at all for breakfast, and even less time to get herself presentable for the day. She’d furiously run her brush through her hair as fast as she could, tying it into haphazard pigtails she had no time to correct, and she’d just about emptied the entire top drawer of her dresser looking for a pair of matching socks. She hadn’t even bothered with her tie until she’d rushed onto the train with seconds to spare before the doors closed, earning her strange looks and hushed whispers from some gossiping classmates. Even after she’d successfully managed to catch her train, the anxiety that coursed through her clouded her mind, so much so that she’d almost left her bag behind when it had reached its destination.

Shim Soojin had handed it back to her, though Yuri wasn’t exactly grateful for that act of ‘kindness’. Soojin had never liked her, and she didn’t doubt that there was some kind of ulterior motive there. She was probably going to go and spread the whole story around with her little friends the second they got to school; poor, pitiful, scatterbrained Jeong Yuri, who had boarded the train this morning looking like she’d gotten ready in the middle of a tornado and would forget her own head if it wasn’t attached to her body.

And just when she’d thought it couldn’t get any worse, her brain finally cleared from its rushed fog, and she’d remembered that there was going to be an exam today. In Biology. The _specific_ subject she’d been slacking on studying lately, because there was going to be an exam in another one of her classes and she’d spent all week studying for _that_ one. 

Hell was real and Yuri was living in it.

After a minute of internal panic, Yuri had found a solution. Simple: all she had to do was make it to school a little earlier, as opposed to simply on time. Then, she could go and ask Jia if she wouldn’t mind letting Yuri look over her notes. Jia was smart; at the very least, in their seven years of friendship, she’d always seemed to be more put together than Yuri was. With her help, Yuri could at least get high enough marks to scoot by on the bare minimum.

It was 7:50. School started in 10 minutes. Yuri needed to get there as fast as her legs could carry her if there was going to be any kind of hope for her. She’d run out of the train station like a bat out of Hell, the stares and other unpleasant reactions she was bound to garner be damned. Her shoes clattered against the pavement, legs pumping furiously as she barreled down the sidewalk. She tried her best to maintain a grip of steel on her bag, despite the way it swung wildly in her hand as she ran. 

A man had entered her line of sight; tall, dark haired, and clad in a pinstripe suit. She figured she’d make it past him, since he looked to be moving rather quickly himself. 

Then, she ran smack into him.

“Hey-!” The man exclaimed, shock evident in his tone.

The two of them collided with such a force that Yuri’s hold on her bookbag was lost entirely, causing it to fall atop the sidewalk. _Shit, shit, shit._ As if there hadn’t been enough problems this morning; she ran late, almost lost her bag, and now her collision with this stranger had delayed her yet again and was going to ensure that she definitely failed her test today. 

Yuri weighed the options in her mind for maybe a split second; she figured an apology was in order, but she _needed_ to get to school. This stranger wouldn’t remember the random girl who had run into him by the end of the day, but she’d never hear the end of a bad grade and her own irresponsibility at home. 

“Sorry!” Yuri squeaked out an apology before snatching her bag up and taking off down the street. At least she’d said something at all, though she would’ve preferred just running away quietly and saving herself any further embarrassment. Sure, she felt bad, but she had no time to dwell on this accident when her grades—and consequently the quality of her life for however long it took her to get them back up—were currently in jeopardy.

All she cared about now was getting through the iron gates of her school’s entrance, so clearly ahead of her once she’d turned the corner, and getting to homeroom. 

Yuri skittered through the gates, through the halls, and into the classroom as quickly as she possibly could without attracting too much attention. She might be able to get away with running like a madwoman anywhere else, but the last thing she needed right now was to get stopped by a teacher. Moving in long strides, she tried her best not to curse under her breath at the prospect that she might just not make it in time. Or worse; perhaps she would, only to see that Jia wasn’t even at school today. That was highly unlikely, considering the Heos were notoriously strict and wouldn’t even dream of letting her cut class when she was ill, never mind on a normal day. Still, with the way Yuri’s day had been going so far, it certainly wouldn’t surprise her.

Luckily for her, that wasn’t the case after all. Jia was sitting in her usual spot when Yuri got to the classroom, head bowed over her notebook. Slipping into her own seat, Yuri wasted no time in asking for her friend’s assistance.

“Psst, Jia!” Yuri called in a desperate whisper. 

“Hm?” Jia turned to look at Yuri, gaze questioning. “What is it?”

“Could I borrow your biology notes for a second, _please?_ ” 

Jia gave an exasperated sigh in response, looking back at the notebook in front of her. “I’m using them right now.”

“Please, Jia. Please.” Yuri knew she probably seemed pathetic, but she didn’t care. “At least just for a minute. I can’t-”

“Fine, fine.” Jia acquiesced, handing the notebook over to Yuri. “Just be quick.”

“ _You are a lifesaver._ ” In all honesty, Yuri really couldn’t thank her enough. She began scanning her eyes over the notes the second she’d gotten them, trying her best to commit what was written on the paper to memory.

Playfully rolling her eyes, Jia gave her a nod. “Yeah, yeah. Hurry up before Mrs. Ahn comes in.”

Yuri’s eyes turned to the clock for a second: 7:55. Homeroom wasn’t going to start for another five minutes. That gave her _some_ time to copy down the notes for herself, though admittedly not much. She could certainly still try. After all, her handwriting didn’t have to be good since she didn’t have to turn this in; it just needed to be legible enough.

Reaching for her bag, in order to grab her own notebook and a pen, Yuri noticed something she hadn’t before. The front pocket of her bag was open. She wasn’t sure when that had happened, whether it had been when she’d been scrambling to get out the door or whether or not Soojin, who had Yuri’s bag in her possession for only a second, had something to do with it. But she was sure of one thing; her wallet, normally always tucked safely into that pocket, was no longer there. Somewhere along the line, between home and this very classroom, she’d lost it.

She hadn’t known whether today could or would get any worse up until now. It just had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahaha,,,,,,i have not written a (fandom) fic in like 84 years so,,,,this should be fun  
> im ngl this fic just kind of started as a fun little thing to help me ward off writers block but Someone suggested i post it so I Do What I Gotta Do  
> it is VERY loosely based off of a movie i just remembered existed like last week + me being a slut for age gap ships and Drama plus ive gotten back into mysme for the billionth time bc of the jumin bad ending dlc  
> this is gonna be,,,,quite a wild ride n thats rlly all im gonna say lmao


	2. new message.

“ _If found, please return to Jeong Yuri._ ” Her cell phone number, address, and the name of her school were neatly scrawled underneath on the piece of paper Jumin had found after looking further into the contents of the wallet. 

Maybe it was for the best that he had been the one to pick it up after all; who knew what any other unscrupulous stranger would’ve done with that information.

Normally, he would have Assistant Kang carry out such trivial tasks for him. But she was handling the presentation for another one of his projects at the moment, and though he’d never had an issue with adding to her workload, a cat project deserved her undivided attention and he’d be damned if he was going to interrupt that to make her deliver a dropped wallet to some random kid. 

Besides, he had some time to spare, and he supposed this task would be a welcome reprieve from how hectic his workday had been, to say nothing of the chaos occurring in the chatrooms that sent a barrage of notifications his way. Luciel, once again, was continuing to plead for another chance to see _‘Elly’_. God, how he hated that nickname. It hardly suited his _Elizabeth_. Zen had been having a field day with the morning’s events after Assistant Kang had told them what happened, because of course he would jump at the opportunity to take some cheap shots at Jumin. Yoosung, well, was Yoosung. All he cared about was asking Jumin if the girl he’d run into was ‘cute’.

“ _Of course not,_ ” Jumin had replied bluntly, “ _She’s a kid._ ”

That response hadn’t helped in the slightest. Now, it was all jokes about how Jumin had gotten himself trampled on by some kid. He’d given up at this point. If they wanted to have their fun at his expense, he would just let them. He had much bigger issues to focus on, namely getting in contact with the _kid_ in question to return what was rightfully hers. 

Jumin hadn’t been in school for quite some time; as such, the schedule had become foreign to him. His eyes flickered over the time on his watch: 5:00 PM. If his memory served him right, students stayed until quite late in the evening. He doubted Jeong Yuri would have gotten out of her classes by this time; as such, it meant that calling her directly to resolve the matter was out of the question. He also couldn’t very well just leave it at her house, considering he didn’t know if there would be anyone home to accept it. That, of course, left him with one option.

“ _Hello. My name is Han Jumin. I’m going to assume this is the correct number for Jeong Yuri._

_We ran into each other this morning, and it seems I’ve found your wallet._

_I’d like to return it to you; when will you be free to collect it?_ ” 

It was a simple message, concise to Jumin’s own liking. He could only hope this girl would respond within a reasonable timeframe, since he’d hate to have to hold on to the object for longer than was necessary. At that rate, he would very well consider just having Assistant Kang do the drop off for him. 

An hour later, when he was once again climbing into Driver Kim’s vehicle, Jumin’s phone pinged with a reply.

* * *

Finally on the train to go home for the evening, Yuri pulled her cell phone out of her bag and turned it on. The rules at her school regarding cell phone use were stringent, to say the least, which left Yuri practically no time to check it during the day. To tell the truth, it didn’t really bother her. She didn’t really think she’d have too many notifications; maybe some new likes on her Instagram or a text from Jia.

She certainly hadn’t been counting on a weirdly formal text from a number she didn’t even recognize.

Sliding to open her phone, Yuri’s eyes scanned over the words that appeared. She felt a pang of embarrassment hit her when the man identified himself; she’d been so sure he wouldn’t even remember her when a few minutes had passed, and yet here he was, texting her because her wallet had fallen into his grasp due to her carelessness. _Way to go, Yuri_ , she mentally scolded herself, _what a ‘genius’ you are_.

Well, she was sure things could have gone worse. At least she knew where her wallet was, and that it was with someone who wasn’t inclined to rob her of its contents. It was much better than the alternative that she’d been bracing for; incurring the wrath of her mother, who would inevitably lecture Yuri till kingdom come when she found out about the loss. She was already on her case enough about a million other things. Yuri didn't want to give her yet another incident to add to the pile.

With that in mind, Yuri typed a reply.

“ _Hello! Yes, this is Jeong Yuri._

_Thank you so much for picking up my wallet!_

_I can’t tonight, but I’m free pretty much anytime tomorrow, so whenever’s good for you?_ ” 

* * *

_Tomorrow?_ Jumin certainly hadn’t planned on keeping the wallet with him overnight, but now it seemed that he might have to. 

He didn’t feel like trying to negotiate this with her; in all fairness, it could be impossible for her to retrieve it right this second. He didn’t know Jeong Yuri at all, so he had no idea of her day to day schedule, but thinking back to his own youth brought back memories of cram schools that ran until the middle of the night. 

Besides, it would be Saturday; he didn’t have any plans for tomorrow outside of catching up on leftover work and spending some quality time with Elizabeth. He supposed he had a moment to spare for this girl.

“ _Preferably around 3._

 _I can deliver it to you, if there’s no problem with that. Your address is on the same note I found your phone number on, so you needn’t send it to me._ ”

* * *

Whatever Han Jumin did, there was no way Yuri would allow him to bring her wallet back to her house.

It wasn’t so much about the inherent risk of having a complete stranger know where she lived; that had gone out the window by now. Rather, it was about the risk of her mother finding out. If there was any way Yuri could see to it that she would spend her weekend in peace instead of drowning in her mother’s endless rants about her apparent irresponsibility, she’d take it.

She could just hear the shrill nagging echoing in her head now, the only recollections of infractions that she'd long forgotten: " _Yuri, seriously? At your age? You've got to know better than this! I know you know better than this!"_ She'd almost gotten a migraine just thinking about it, and she shuddered to think of the absolute cruelty her eardrums would really have to endure if she were actually hearing it.

Of course, she couldn’t exactly just flat out explain that to the man. She didn’t know him at all, so there was no reason for him to know about her home life. She’d simply have to provide another excuse as to why that wasn’t an option. That, and an alternative drop-off point.

“ _Sorry, I don’t think my mom would allow that._ ”

Yuri twiddled her thumbs above her phone screen, going through a mental slideshow of every suitable location nearby. She didn’t know where Han Jumin lived, though she assumed it was close enough to her school considering what had occurred that morning. That narrowed it down to a few choices, since she wanted it to be a convenient location for the both of them.

“ _How about the Honey Cinnamon Cafe? We could meet there instead._ ”

It seemed close enough, and Yuri had been there a few times before. Admittedly, it wasn’t as popular with her classmates, which was what had ultimately made her decide on it. Maybe it was for the best on both ends if no one she knew were to witness the exchange. It wasn’t as though they were doing anything wrong, but it was already awkward enough as is, never mind the possibility of having to endure the lingering stares of her classmates.

* * *

_The Honey Cinnamon Cafe?_ Jumin was almost certain that he’d passed by the place a couple times, though he’d never actually ventured inside himself. 

Nonetheless, he’d have agreed to meet anywhere regardless of his own familiarity with it. The sooner he gave this wallet back to Jeong Yuri, the better. It would take at least one responsibility, of the many he currently had to deal with, off his shoulders. 

So it was settled.

" _Th_ _at’s fine._

_I will meet you there at 3pm tomorrow._

_Have a good evening._ ”


	3. hello, you.

The Honey Cinnamon Cafe, as Jumin had come to find out, was only a ten minute drive away from his penthouse. It was a convenient, cozy little place, with an interior that radiated warmth. He couldn’t help but wonder if Elizabeth would like to be there. Maybe that was just what C&R needed nowadays; not a _cat cafe_ , but a cafe _for_ cats. He’d have to tell Assistant Kang to get on that one.

But Jumin wasn’t here for the ambiance, nor to scout for ideas for a new business venture. He was here for a momentary exchange, and that was all. 

Now, he had the wallet with him, tucked into his pocket. But what he did _not_ have was Jeong Yuri. Jumin’s eyes peered down at his wrist, reading _2:49_ , before looking back around the cafe for a pair of brown pigtails, only to find that there were none in sight. To be fair, he was somewhat early, but he’d always been a firm believer in punctuality. To be early was to be on time, and to be on time was to be late.

Sighing, Jumin took a seat at the nearest table with two chairs. He wondered if he should get himself a coffee while he waited, though he ultimately decided against it. He didn’t feel like being here longer than he had to be, preferring to just get business over with and leave without the extra hassle of having to finish a drink before he did so. Besides, he was sure it wasn’t going to take the girl too much longer to arrive; he had something important of hers, so he expected that she’d have a sense of urgency about their meeting.

One minute turned into two, and two into five, before Jumin heard the chime of the bell above the cafe’s door signaling a new arrival. He turned to face the source of the noise, and found himself looking right at Jeong Yuri. Just as expected.

He watched as she scanned the cafe for a minute, wondering whether he should raise a hand or something of the sort to indicate his location, before the girl’s gaze fell upon him. Her eyes lit up almost instantly, and she gave him a jovial smile and a wave before beginning to make her way over. Jumin attempted to ‘smile’ in return, but it was more of a half-hearted tug on his lips than anything. 

Her appearance hadn’t changed too much from what he had seen the previous day; her chestnut hair was still tied into low pigtails, albeit a bit more neatly styled, and she’d opted for a pink cardigan over a white tank top and some jeans since there was no need for her school uniform. Now that Jumin was finally able to get a proper look at her, as opposed to what he’d caught of the blur whizzing away from him when they’d first ‘met’, he noticed details he hadn’t before. Her eyes matched the light brown of her hair, and there was a small beauty mark just below the right one. Her lips, heart-shaped, were covered in a thin layer of pink gloss. 

Admittedly, she was pretty. Not exactly ‘stand out in every crowd’ beautiful, but still attractive in her own right. Definitely more than the portrait on her student ID had given her credit for. 

_Student ID; still just a teenager,_ Jumin reminded himself. While there wasn’t _technically_ an issue with it—the law, as it stood, wouldn’t even bat an eye—Jumin wouldn’t allow himself to entertain such thoughts. He’d seen just where that had gotten his father, a revolving door of floozies who had attempted to play ‘new mommy’ to his son before he’d begun pursuing women sometimes younger than Jumin himself, only to disappear within the month after their lies had come undone and revealed the cruel reality yet again: no one loved a Han man for anything other than his money.

Jumin refused to allow himself to be subject to such flights of fancy; he needn’t have a so-called ‘love life’, not when his work and his Elizabeth suited him just fine. 

“Hello!” Yuri greeted Jumin cheerfully as she took her seat in front of him. 

Jumin thought it odd, a stranger being so happy to see him, though he supposed that would have something to do with the fact that he had something she likely wanted. 

“Hello.” Jumin replied shortly, his delivery much less enthusiastic. Reaching into the pocket of his suit jacket, he produced the girl’s wallet in no time at all, holding it out to her. “I believe this is yours.”

Gingerly taking the object back from him, Yuri nodded. “Thank you.” She spoke with a nervous laugh, tone showing obvious relief. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t found it.”  
  


Jumin nodded, having little else to say. His job here was done, after all. “Well, have a good day.” He rose from his seat, pushing his chair back in. “And be more careful next time.”

Just as Jumin had turned around, the front door already in his sights, he was surprised to hear the same girl he’d walked away from calling out to him. “Wait!”

Jumin turned around, expression blank, and yet befuddled as ever.

* * *

Yuri wasn’t sure what exactly had come over her. She knew nothing of Han Jumin prior to the accident yesterday, and she still hardly knew anything of him now—aside from the fact that he was supposedly some big shot businessman or at least the son of one, which had been uncovered during a quick search of the man’s name that she’d done the night before, just to make sure she wasn’t unknowingly going to meet up with some dangerous creep—but something just felt _wrong_ about letting the man leave so soon. 

Likely her budding attraction to him; she did have to admit that Jumin certainly wasn’t too bad on the eyes. He was tall and had a mature charm to his appearance, with sharp gray eyes and tousled black hair, and honestly seemed better looking than most other guys her own age. In all fairness, however, Yuri didn’t know too many guys her age to compare him with given the fact that she didn’t go to school with any, but what she’d seen of her friends’ boyfriends and a few acquaintances could hardly be said to match up to the man in front of her. They were just okay.

But that was neither here nor there; Yuri was not about to develop a crush on a total stranger, especially not one who had been spoken of on the websites of various gossip magazines about purportedly having zero interest in women whatsoever. And that was women his own age, mind you, meaning the chances he’d somehow be into Yuri specifically were likely in the negatives.

She definitely hadn’t come here with the intention of hanging out with him; all the contrary, she too had wanted to leave as quickly as humanly possible. Even so, now that he was here, she figured she wasn’t really pressed for time today. At the very least, Yuri _did_ want to pay him back for the favor he’d done for her.

“Did you eat yet?” Yuri questioned, holding onto the first idea that had come to mind.

“Not… yet, no.” Jumin thought the question over for a second, even though it was obvious that he found it strange. “I probably will when I return home. Is that all?” Yuri supposed she could see how it would come across that way; some random high schooler asking after the health of a grown man she’d only just met. 

“My card is in here.” Yuri explained, waving the wallet that had been returned to her possession. “Let me buy you something to eat, then. At least just a coffee and some kind of pastry.” 

“No, thank you.” Jumin declined the offer immediately. “I think I’ll just go home.”

“It’s the least I can do.” Yuri insisted, going to pull the aforementioned card from her wallet. 

“You really don’t have to go out of your way to ‘repay’ me.” Jumin countered.

Yuri really wished he wouldn’t make this so difficult on her; she was never one to be overly pushy with people, but it seemed as though she was left with no other options here. She knew that he most definitely didn’t _need_ her goodwill, but would it really kill him to accept it?

“ _You_ went out of _your_ way to return my wallet.” Yuri reminded him. “Really, it isn’t a problem.”

Evidently, Jumin was thinking what Yuri was thinking, only the other way around. “It _is_ a problem, actually.” He stated bluntly. “You’re still just a student; I am not going to let a kid spend their money on me.”

Yuri was somewhat taken aback at that; she was _sixteen_ , she didn’t consider herself a little kid. In Han Jumin’s eyes, perhaps she might seem to be one, but Yuri thought herself just as capable as any adult. Besides, whether he thought her a ‘kid’ or not, it was still _her_ money; she could do as she pleased with it. “I’m not some poor, starving child.” Yuri pressed on. “And it isn’t even that much money. Just let me. You don’t even have to stick around; I can order it to go.” 

The man hesitated to respond; Yuri assumed he was looking for a new way to turn her down and see himself out of there.

At last, Jumin relented. “Alright.” 

* * *

Jumin had come to this cafe with every intention of coming in, handing Yuri her wallet, and heading back home. He had Elizabeth and the brief reprieve of a weekend waiting for him, and there was no reason for this meeting to last longer than five minutes at most.

Somehow, he’d ended up where he was now; a good while after he was supposed to meet Jeong Yuri and leave, sitting across from her with a black coffee and scones that she had bought for him. Neither of the items in question were more than mediocre in quality; more ‘common’ foods that any student would be able to afford never really compared to what his personal chef fixed for him, even something so minor. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t gripe about it. Not to her face, at least. It was a one time occurrence, so what use would there be in complaining?

The girl had offered to let him take the order home, but he’d declined. It felt wrong enough as is to be accepting a handout from a student, never mind to just take it and leave. In hindsight, Jumin was sort of glad he hadn’t done that. Perhaps it would have spared him a few minutes of incredibly stilted small talk as they’d waited for his order to be called, but Jumin could admit he wasn’t having a _terrible_ time at the moment. 

He’d learned a fair bit about Jeong Yuri in her attempts to fill the silence. She was sixteen, on the older end for her grade level, and lived about half an hour from the area. Her mother worked most days and her younger brother, Dowon, had stayed the night at a friend’s, so she’d expected to spend today just studying at home. Lastly, she couldn’t bear the strong flavor of black coffee at all, something she’d pointed out while sipping on her own mochaccino.

“But what about you?” Yuri questioned after prattling on for a while. “Do you have any other plans for today?”

“Mm, not really.” Jumin hummed. “I’m off work today, so I supposed today would be as good a day as any to stay in and relax with Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth?” Yuri blinked, seemingly confused. “Your…”

_Right._ This girl had only just met him, she didn’t have a clue who Elizabeth 3rd was. “My cat.” Jumin informed her as concisely as he possibly could. Of course Elizabeth wasn’t just _any_ cat; Jumin treasured her more than anything else in the world. But he couldn’t expect a stranger to understand that. 

Just as quickly as it had changed, Yuri’s expression returned to normal. “Aww, you have a cat?” She crooned, seemingly charmed by the fact, speaking her next words in a giggle. “I kind of had you pegged for a cat person, actually.”

On one hand, it was refreshing to find someone who seemed to like cats, or at the very least did not find them entirely repulsive. He found it quite taxing to listen to Jaehee’s constant complaints about his Elizabeth and her ‘c-hairs’, to say nothing of Zen’s irrational hatred for the creatures, Jumin’s own darling pet included. On the other hand, he wanted to know exactly what the girl meant by ‘having him pegged for a cat person’, although he assumed it was likely because of his own similarities to the stereotype.

“Really?” Jumin questioned, taking a sip of his drink. Even if he knew the answer, he’d entertain this topic. “How so?”

“You really need an explanation?” Yuri snickered. “It’s just how it is, you know? Dog people are always the more outgoing, energetic type. The kind to talk your ear off. Cat people, though? They’re the cool and aloof type. The kind who don’t really have anything to say.” Her eyes met his. “Like you.”

“So you think I’m the cool and aloof type?” It _was_ a fair assessment, Jumin would grant her that, though his personality had almost nothing to do with his preference of cats. He’d heard himself described that way before, albeit sometimes in decidedly more pejorative terms. ‘Cool and aloof’ was something he could live with. 

“Considering I’ve had to do most of the talking?” Yuri teased. “Yeah, I do.”

“I take it you’re a dog person, then.” Jumin spoke with a straight face, delivery perhaps a tad flat for the joking tone that he’d intended as he quoted Yuri’s own words back to her. “The kind to talk your ear off.”

Luckily for him, it seemed that Yuri had taken it as a joke anyways. “ _Please._ ” The girl laughed. “Would you rather both of us just sit here and not say anything?”

Jumin thought the sound of Yuri’s laugh to be a fairly pleasant one. Just as her voice, thankfully, it wasn’t grating in the slightest. It sounded the way the sun’s rays amongst a light breeze might feel; warm, light, and airy. It definitely suited her, in regards to both her appearance and what he'd seen of her personality. He didn’t mind it at all; perhaps, he’d even like to hear it more often. 

He stopped the thought dead in its tracks, pulling petals off of a flower before it had even reached full bloom. It was a ridiculous thought to have because he was not going to see this girl again after today. He would never hear that voice again after another few minutes, and he would not be going out of his way to change that. There was no need to be close to Jeong Yuri, and what point would there be in trying to accomplish that? Realistically speaking, they had very little in common, an Executive Director and a first year high school student, living very different lifestyles with very different schedules. There was hardly a possibility for a viable friendship there, never mind anything else. 

With that in mind, he could still at least temporarily enjoy her company. 

“And what if I said I would?” Jumin retorted. 

“Then you would be proving me right.” Yuri chided him, sticking out her tongue. “Just accept your fate, Mr. Cool-and-Aloof.”

“I never denied it.” Jumin shrugged. “You are the one who won’t stop yapping about how you’re not the type who doesn’t stop yapping.”

“Ouch.” Yuri gave a joking wince as though his remark had cut her deep. “Right now, my ‘yapping’ is the only thing between you and being bored out of your mind.”

“Not really.” Jumin dismissed the claim impassively with a subtle shake of his head. “I would be doing just fine without it.”

“Uh huh, sure.” Yuri brushed back a pigtail so that it hung down her back. “If that’s what you want, then fine. _You_ get to lead the conversation now.” She leaned just slightly over the table, eyeing Jumin with rapt attention. “I’m all ears.”

As much as Jumin was loath to admit it, they’d come to an impasse there. Jumin was as well-versed in small talk as someone of his position would need to be, but that was generally for entirely different settings. He knew how to construct phrases of hollow air during meetings or conferences with investors or this foreign business partner or the other, how to talk things up in C&R’s benefit. What he did not know was how to speak so as to keep a teenage girl’s eyes from glazing over. It wasn’t as though it was a skill lost to the sands of time, left forgotten in his own youth; he’d never felt compelled to entertain any woman the way his father had at any point in his life. The only woman he’d ever had any sort of interest in was never his to win over, and never could be now.

It put a dull ache in his chest to think of Rika now; he shouldn’t be thinking of Rika now. He pushed the thought back into the recesses of his mind, locking the ache away for another time. Always another time. He didn’t fret too much about Yuri noticing any sudden change in his demeanor at the recollection, since he knew there was a slim possibility that there even was any noticeable change to begin with. 

Jumin settled on the easiest choice: a question. “What do you like to do?”

It had been a mistake, evidently, because it had only taken Yuri a second of looking back at him, silent and straight-faced, before she’d gone into a fit of giggles. Jumin retained his own blank slate expression, but he did not laugh. He couldn’t understand what she found so funny.

“What is it?” Jumin inquired, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong there. The man had grown accustomed to having a sense of humor that fell somewhat behind the rest, so he’d naturally come to assume that something must have slipped past him. 

“You’re cheating.” Yuri spoke like it was obvious, her peal of laughter beginning to wind down.

“I’m _what?_ ” Jumin raised an eyebrow. 

“I told you to talk and you just went and asked me to tell you about me.” Yuri shook her head. “That’s not gonna work.”

Even if Jumin’s own sense of it seemed to have fallen behind, he could now find some humor in Yuri’s reaction to a simple question. He knew she wasn’t seriously overreacting; he could tell a tease from a sudden emotional outburst. It amused him so, her rigidity towards the perceived lack of fairness in the situation.

“Would you prefer that I answer my own question, then?” Jumin asked, to which Yuri nodded in reply. There was no laughter this time, but the impish grin he’d watched creep across her lips hardly seemed a much better outcome.

“Go right ahead.” was all Yuri had to say.

Jumin thought about it for a moment. He’d technically put _himself_ on the spot, but he was still none too happy to be in that position. He wondered if there was anything he could say that he hadn’t already revealed and that couldn’t be brought up by a perfunctory internet search of his name or flipping through the pages of any one of the business magazines that had interviewed him. He worked often, so that was a given. One thing he knew for certain was that bringing up Elizabeth again was off the table, seeing as Yuri already knew about her now.

“Well, I enjoy reading.” Jumin thought aloud, fiddling with the cuff of his suit jacket’s sleeves.

That answer, despite its brevity, seemed to please Yuri well enough. She hadn’t wrinkled her nose or idly nodded her way through boredom. Instead, she seemed interested. “Yeah, I guess I could say that too.” She agreed. “What kind of stuff are you into?”

Jumin figured he liked a little of everything for the most part, with only a few exceptions. He’d studied just about everything, from some more popular novels to obscure ones of a more occult leaning. If he had to choose favorites, though? “Classics, I suppose. Tolstoy, Nabokov, Proust, and the like.”

“So, like,” Yuri paused to collect her thoughts and finish off the rest of her coffee, “Older foreign stuff?” 

Once again, not an entirely incorrect summary, though someone of a more sensitive nature than Jumin could have taken offense to such a flippant description.

“Sure.” Jumin chuckled; he’d allow it. “It’s good to read things like that every once in a while. It stimulates the mind.” 

“So does watching a drama with a ton of plot twists.” Yuri pointed out. “But I get what you mean. Sometimes it’s just nice to get to use your imagination, to kind of go somewhere else for once.” Her voice had taken on a faraway sort of tone, and Jumin couldn’t help but wonder what was taking place in her head. He didn’t dare ask, for the last thing he intended on doing today was prying too deeply into the mind of a girl he hardly knew.

Even so, he could imagine some of the meaning behind her words, taking it from his own perspective. Yes, it was quite nice to feel as though he were somewhere else for a while. It was nice to get away from everything, to put himself in a world where it was only him and Elizabeth and the characters constructed of words on a page. None of the stress of work, no fretting about what toll his father’s sentimentality would once again take on the man and the company, none of the uncertainty that surrounded the RFA. No being alone with the all too complicated thoughts that twisted and tangled together in his mind like coiled cords, while he was powerless to unravel them.

Jumin’s gaze drifted back to his watch for the first time in quite a while. _3:59_ , it read. 

He knew he had long passed the estimated amount of time he’d thought he would spend here, but he hadn’t realized by just how much. The minutes had flown by like seconds right before his eyes, and he’d finished the beverage and pastries that had kept him there in the first place. Even so, he didn’t want to leave just yet. He could see himself staying here with Yuri for a little while longer.

He _had_ to leave.

“Anyways, I think I’d better be off.” Jumin decided abruptly, rising from his seat. Yuri, though she looked obviously surprised at his sudden departure, made no attempt to prevent him from leaving this time. “Thank you for everything.” Even if he was leaving out of nowhere, he still didn’t want to be rude. 

“Oh, uh- it’s really no problem.” Yuri replied, giving a slight nod. “Thank you, too. For the whole wallet thing.”

Jumin nodded back at her, but said nothing. Instead, he turned and walked out of the chiming front door, away from the Honey Cinnamon Cafe, away from Jeong Yuri. All, hopefully, for good.


	4. another favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has been,,,,,,,84 years since ive updated rip  
> so YEAH,,,basically school absolutely molly wopped me n tho i most certainly did NOT forget this fic i jus have not had The Time 2 update  
> but ive had more motivation lately so ive been trying to get back on keeping up w this  
> i wanted to put some of the chapters out in like,,,,,groups n ive had this one done for a MINUTE but seeing as i realized the other two r gonna take a little bit longer i am jus gonna drop this in the meantime!

Jumin’s life had once again returned to the normal humdrum he’d grown accustomed to. 

He’d planned to spend the rest of his weekend relaxing at home for the most part, a wine glass in one hand while he stroked Elizabeth 3rd’s silky fur with the other. Naturally, though, work had a way of following him back to the penthouse and cutting off such tranquility before it had even really had a chance to begin. It was a given that Jumin had always known to account for, considering his position. No matter; he could set his wine glass down and settle for letting Elizabeth 3rd nuzzle into his side as he read over stacks upon stacks of reports and proposals for new business ventures, ready to pick up the phone and dial Assistant Kang at a moment’s notice if anything came up that required further attention.

Going into the next week had hardly been much of a change, merely the same routine he’d already been going through at home. Granted, with the exception of Elizabeth 3rd’s presence. In all honesty, Jumin found it disappointing that despite the fact that he held almost as much power as his father did in regards to the company, there was nothing he could do about not being able to bring his beloved pet along to the office with him. He knew there were obvious reasons as to why; matters of ‘health’ and ‘cleanliness’ and the allergies of some nameless employee or other. Even so, he didn’t particularly care—those all seemed like personal problems, and his Elizabeth never caused him any trouble—but he abided by the rules regardless, albeit reluctantly.

His father had vanished from the office once again, off on some last minute vacation with the newest woman to catch his eye. It was surprising in the same way that it wasn’t; his father had only recently broken up with his previous girlfriend, and the separation had left the man absolutely devastated. She’d been yet another flighty young woman who looked to Chairman Han and saw all the won in the world as opposed to a genuine lover. Not the first and certainly not the last, especially not if his father had taken a new girlfriend so quickly. 

Of course, a new woman in his father’s life meant two things for Jumin. First: a new presence to tolerate for however long this one decided to stick around. Second: work, work, and _more_ work. Everything his father would be doing if he wasn’t busy traipsing around with the thousandth ‘love of his life’ fell to Jumin to handle. Doing twice the work would have sounded a daunting task to anyone else, but he’d gotten used to it by now. This was how it had always been, and how it would be until his father inevitably returned with the sparkle of infatuation gone from his eyes and yet another ‘shocking’ tale of misfortune. 

Even though picking up his father’s slack was par for the course, the normalcy of it hardly served to alleviate any of the stress that it placed on Jumin’s shoulders. Given all of the tension, Jumin had decided to turn to a tried and true solution to his problems; the beginning of yet another cat project. He was sure Assistant Kang would be frustrated by it, but that was of little concern to him. She was always paid handsomely for her efforts, so if it was a cat cafe that he wanted, then she would surely have to see to it that he got it. 

The idea was surely a stroke of genius, one that would drum up a substantial profit for C&R. He’d been sitting on it for an entire week, ever since the _incident_ with that girl that had required his presence at that cozy cafe nearby. 

Sometimes, Jumin found that day creeping to the forefront of his mind again. He couldn’t determine a logical explanation as to _why_ ; it had been out of the ordinary, sure, but hardly anything groundbreaking. A stranger had lost her wallet, he had returned it, and they’d had an inconsequential conversation. There was no sensible reason for it, nothing to indicate why he should be so preoccupied by the memory. And yet, he was. 

The click of his keyboard, the tick of the clock, the scratch of his pen forming yet another signature, the resounding ring of Jeong Yuri’s voice seemingly out of nowhere. All echoed in Jumin’s head and the stark silence of his office, and he found there was nothing he could do about any of them. 

Jumin sighed. The sooner he got all of his work done for the day, the better. Eyes shifting over to the clock, he knew it would be quite a while before that was accomplished.

* * *

For once, Yuri was glad that the weekend had gone by quickly.

Yuri didn’t exactly hate being cooped up in her room with her nose in a book; it was being cooped up with her nose in a book _and_ Dowon running in and out of her room to pester her every five minutes that she found to be unbearable. Naturally, Mom had once again been given overtime hours, so Yuri was ever so _lucky_ as to be placed in the latter situation.

Dowon wasn’t a bad kid; at least, that was what Yuri tried to remind herself of when her bedroom door would inevitably swing open yet again, quickly followed by a complaint about his hunger and a subsequent request for a snack or yet another reminder that he was painfully bored. He was only eight, and used to Mom practically waiting on him hand and foot when she was home. 

Even so, Yuri wished he could go at least a few more seconds without needing her help with something. She didn’t think she’d even been so helpless when she was his age. Circumstances back then had been vastly different. Dowon was still only a baby, so it wasn’t like he’d be able to remember much, if anything at all. But Yuri certainly did. Mom and Dad had only just recently split; as such, Mom had had to go back to work, which left it up to Yuri to play little helper where she could. It wasn’t a _grueling_ task, but Yuri at least knew how to keep herself and her baby brother fed and entertained for a little bit. And there Dowon was, banging her door down to ask for a sandwich and for her to _please_ come and play video games with him like he couldn’t do either of the two himself. Sometimes, she wondered how they could even be related. 

After a weekend like that, Yuri was somewhat relieved to be back at school, if only because she needed a break from the house for at least a little while. Especially since said break involved sitting with Jia during their lunch period, going over the details of Saturday afternoon. 

“So, you’re saying Han Jumin as in, like, the _billionaire_ Han Jumin?” Jia questioned incredulously, attention shifting back and forth between the open notebook in her lap and her friend.

“I guess so.” Yuri shrugged.

“How the hell did you get _that_ to happen?” 

“I just told you.” Yuri rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. “I was on my way to school on Friday and then-”

“ _Yuri,_ ” Jia laughed, “that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what-?”

“I mean, come on.” Jia tucked a loose strand of her black bob back behind her ear. “ _Him_ , of all people? I’ve seen him on the covers of some of my sister’s business magazines. The guy’s, like, crazy rich. Really, of everyone else in the whole country, he’s the one you run into?”  
  


“What, so now you don’t believe me?” Yuri scoffed, going to take a sip of her water. Jia seemed to talk as though Yuri could never have anything exciting happen to her—in all fairness, she might not have been entirely wrong, as such events were few and far between in Yuri’s routine, but that was beside the point.

“No, no. I do.” Jia insisted, though the obvious doubt written across her features indicated otherwise. “But you just- you get how that would seem a little hard to believe, right?”

“So you don’t believe me.” Yuri concluded with a sigh. “Okay. Got it.”

“I told you that I do.” Jia countered. “But I really hope you didn’t tell anyone else-”

Suddenly, an idea came to Yuri’s mind, drawing her lips into a grin. “Do you want proof?” Yuri interjected, going to reach into her backpack. 

“What proof?” Jia wondered aloud. ”...Please don’t tell me you just went and took a picture of him or something.” Yuri’s lack of a response as she rooted through the contents of her bag served only to intensify the other girl’s worry. “Yuri, _please_ tell me that I’m wrong.” 

“Do I look like some kind of creep to you?” Yuri finally responded once she’d grabbed her phone, shaking her head. “No, obviously. But I’ve got the texts.” She waved the cell phone in her hand as though she’d pulled the holy grail out of her backpack, beaming with pride. Quickly unlocking the device, she opened her messages to find the thread before handing the device over to Jia. “Read ‘em for yourself.”

Jia now seemed like she wasn’t sure what to believe, scrolling through the conversation with lips pressed into a thin line. “Huh...”

“What _now?_ ” Yuri groaned, peering over the other girl’s shoulder in an attempt to find whatever had stuck out enough to keep Jia skeptical of the situation.

“Okay, I’m not saying you’re making this up. I’m not saying that at all, but-”

“ _Jia, oh my God._ ” Yuri slumped back in her chair, defeated, looking up to the ceiling.

“Look!” Jia was quick to defend her position. “I don’t think you’re making it up, really. But that could’ve been anyone.”

“How could it have been anyone?” Yuri exclaimed. “I was there! I _saw_ him. I _talked_ to him.”

“And I wasn’t there, so I have no clue what you did.” Jia stated plainly, passing the cell phone back to Yuri. “I still don’t think you’re a liar. I really, really don’t. But all it takes is for you to tell just one more person who does think that and _bam_ , the whole class is gonna think you’re the crazy girl who lied about meeting Han Jumin.”

Yuri could understand where Jia was coming from, as much as she took offense to the insinuation that she could be seen as a liar and a crazy one at that. Some of the girls in their class were harsh, to say the least, and she was only trying to look out for her.

With that being said, Yuri could never turn down a challenge, even an indirect one. If only absolutely irrefutable proof would satisfy Jia, then that was exactly what Yuri was just going to have to produce. Assuming Jumin was willing to cooperate with her request, that was.

“Give me a minute.” Yuri’s fingers glided across the keyboard at breakneck speed, composing a message she wanted to fire off as soon as possible.

“What are you-” Jia looked at Yuri with raised brows. “Are you texting him?”

“Just give me a minute, okay?” Yuri repeated.

* * *

“Yes, if you’re able to be here at noon next Thursday. My father should be back in the office by then, and that’s the earliest he’ll be available.” Jumin relayed the instructions to the person on the other end of the line, the assistant to the Chairman of one of the company’s many associates. “No, unfortunately that is absolutely the earliest. He’s not due back in the country until the night before, and there’s already a meeting scheduled to take up most of the morning.”

The door to his office creaked open, and Jumin was hardly surprised to find that Jaehee had entered the room, carrying yet another pile of papers in her arms. “Yes, I understand.” He nodded along to the voice on the phone, wordlessly motioning for her to set them down on his desk and take the ones he was already done with.

“Assistant Kang.” Jumin called out, momentarily putting a hand over the mouthpiece, as the thought had only now just come back to him. Jaehee stopped in her tracks, one foot already out the door, and turned back to face him once more.

“Yes, Mr. Han?” 

“The newest cat project.” Jumin cleared his throat. “I need you to get started on the research and presentation for it as soon as possible.

He could have sworn he’d seen her face fall for a second, though the woman regained her composure in an instant. “What about the other one? For-”

Jumin held up a hand to stop her mid-sentence. “The new project takes priority.”

“Alright.” Jaehee nodded, turning on her heel to leave and shutting the door behind her. Jumin could have sworn he’d heard her mutter something when she’d left, something about a lack of sleep for a while, but he’d let it slide. That was Assistant Kang’s business, not his. 

Turning his attention back to his phone call, Jumin found himself eyeing the clock once again. It was tedious work sometimes, but what could he do about it? “Yes, yes. We’ll see you then.” He recited easily. “Have a good afternoon. Goodbye.” He set the phone back down onto its base, wasting no time in turning to the newest pile of documents in need of his approval. Grabbing the first few papers atop the stack, gray eyes began to scan over a proposal.

The chime of a notification on his cell phone suddenly rang through the quiet room, much to Jumin’s irritation. He was willing to bet it was once again the RFA chatroom blowing up his phone; surely, when he turned it over to check, he’d find a string of complaints about school from Yoosung or news about another upcoming project for Zen. Maybe, though he doubted it as she’d only just left, Assistant Kang would be on there to gripe about her workload as she was wont to do. 

None of the above turned out to be the answer. Instead, Jumin was met with an unsaved number, though one that he recognized immediately. It was _that_ girl, the one whose wallet he’d returned over the weekend. _Jeong Yuri_. 

Oddly enough, Jumin felt a sense of calm wash over him in waves, offsetting his prior annoyance. For whatever reason, he didn’t mind this interruption, even if it had come out of nowhere. He really didn’t have a clue as to why she’d be texting him right now; especially considering that if his gaze at the clock a minute or so ago served him right, she was likely still in school and would be for a few more hours. Never mind the fact that the entire exchange was already said and done, so what more could she possibly need from him?

Swiping open his phone, Jumin’s messages opened to a plea.

“ _hi again! its yuri!_

_sorry for this, but ive got a favor to ask!_

_could u please send me a selfie real quick, just holding up a peace sign or smth?_

_i promise ill explain later. sorry again!_ ”

Jumin was puzzled, to say the least. It was only a natural response to receiving such a request out of nowhere from a girl he’d only met two days ago and hadn’t spoken to since. _What_ exactly would she even need a photo of him for? Her request wasn’t one that would garner much attention or profit if handed over to some tabloid, so he figured that could be ruled out as a cause. It was also unlikely she’d be asking for something so specific if she were only going to use it as a contact photo, though it was unlikely she’d need a contact photo for him in general considering the lack of any real need to remain in contact.

He stopped himself. What use was there in trying to decipher each possible explanation when he could, and quite frankly should, simply deny the request and move on? He was busy, and needn’t waste precious time that could be spent on completing today’s tasks entertaining a schoolgirl’s demands. That would be the most logical course of action. 

But despite Jumin’s normal rationality, he’d found himself seized by a rare feeling; curiosity. He couldn’t help but wonder what was behind that message. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to entertain this girl for just a second.

Before he could second guess himself, Jumin opened his camera and quickly posed for a photo. Admittedly, he felt a sense of awkwardness about it; unlike _some_ people he knew, he wasn’t the type to regularly photograph himself. Even so, he supposed it was all in good fun. At least, he hoped it was. He guessed he’d find out.

He sent the picture off immediately afterwards, typing up a message to accompany it.

“ _Sure._

 _Hopefully this is satisfactory._ ”

* * *

Yuri only glanced at the photo on her screen for about a split second, just enough to notice a few details. It was somewhat blurry—he’d obviously shifted some while taking it—but not to the point that it would be indiscernible as to who it was. If anything, that could only help Yuri’s case. This didn’t look like something she could have just pulled off the internet, like some professional headshot would.

“See! I _told_ you it was actually him.” Yuri grinned triumphantly, holding the phone up to Jia. 

Jia’s eyes seemed like they’d pop right out of her head if she attempted to open them any wider. “No way.” She grabbed the phone right out of her friend’s hand, scrutinizing the picture closely. Yuri watched her with bated breath.

At last, Jia seemed satisfied with the evidence before her, returning the device to Yuri.

“So…?” Yuri prompted, simpering.

“So…” Jia repeated, trying in vain to keep a growing smile off her lips. “You think you could give his number to Eunkyung? She’d _lose_ it.”

“No way.” Yuri snorted, tucking her phone back into her backpack. “I’m not trying to get sued or something. Besides, doesn’t she already have a boyfriend?”

“Well, yeah, but she’d drop him in a second for Han Jumin.” Jia replied.

“Still no way.” Yuri asserted, pushing her hair back behind her ear. “ _I_ saw him first.” Her tone was comically sentimental, as though she were one of those girls waxing poetic about some handsome idol or another they believed to be their soulmate. For added effect, she clasped both hands over her heart, swooning slightly.

Jia snickered, lightly smacking her friend’s arm. “As if.”


End file.
